The International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth is jointly supported
by the Poverty Practice, Bureau for Development Policy, UNDP
and the Government of Brazil.
No. 94
September, 2009
Conservation and Ecotourism in Brazil and Mexico:
The Development Impact
by David Ivan Fleischer,
International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth
Conservation projects alter local productive modes and
have an impact on livelihoods. For example, sea turtle conservation
projects affect fishing communities through hunting restrictions.
It is not painless for communities to improve fishing technology in
order to prevent the accidental capture of sea turtles. The inability to
adapt to environmental requirements forces fishermen to abandon
traditional livelihoods. A combination of environmental conservation
and ecotourism development can provide the solution.
Sea turtle hunting has been banned in most Latin American
countries. Brazil banned it in 1980 and Mexico in 1992. Before the
bans, older fishermen in Mazunte, Mexico, and Praia do Forte, Brazil,
taught younger ones the traditional knowledge of: (i) capturing
turtles at sea; (ii) collecting eggs at local beaches; (iii) slaughtering
adult turtles; and (iv) preparing meals from turtle meat or eggs.
As with any traditional knowledge, this one demanded learning
and practice before the fishermen became fully adept. The ban
on sea turtle hunting meant cessation of a generational activity.
Then came the conservation and ecotourism projects: the
Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga and Brazil’s Projeto Tamar. These were
implemented to recover the sea turtle population through education
programmes and alternative livelihoods. Fishing boats with nets were
replaced by those with sea turtle exclusion systems. Fishermen were
hired to help find sea turtle nests and transfer them to incubation
areas. In helping to recover nests, the fishermen began to earn a
living. As a result, the projects gained important conservation allies.
But did the conservation and ecotourism projects reduce poverty?
In the case of the communities in Mazunte and Praia do Forte, the
answer is yes. The table shows changes in key social indicators in both
towns by comparing the periods before and after the conservation
and ecotourism projects. Before the projects, households had
virtually no potable water or electricity, nor access to health facilities
and schools. The projects significantly improved household welfare.
Average family income increased by 17 per cent in Mazunte and
by more than twofold in Praia do Forte. Universal access to piped
water was achieved in Mazunte. A hospital was opened in Praia do
Forte. Three schools were opened in each town. Food and nutritional
intake also improved because of the availability of more options
and variety. Before the conservation projects, the main staple food
in both towns included sea turtles, corn, rice and beans. Beef, fruits,
poultry and vegetables are now commonly consumed and
form the basis of a modern diet.
Changes in Key Social and Economic Indicators
Mazunte, Mexico (population, 2,000)
Family
income
Piped
water
Electricity
Health
Schools
Before conservation
(1999)
US$600
0 homes
0 homes
0
0
After conservation
(2008)
US$700
1,000
homes
(100%)
1,000
homes
(100%)
1 clinic
3 (K-12)
Praia do Forte, Brazil (population, 5,600)
Before conservation
(1999)
After conservation
(2007)
Family
income
Piped
water &
sewage
Electricity
Health
Schools
US$300
0 homes
0 homes
0
0
US$900
1,900
homes
(95%)
2,000
homes
(100%)
1 hospital
3 (K-12)
Source: Data collected by author; and Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) and Department of
the Municipality of Santa Maria Tonameca, for Mazunte; and Companhia de Eletricidade da Bahia
(Coelba) and Empresa de Agua e Saneamento da Bahia (Embasa), for Praia do Forte.
The value of rentable spaces and land plots increased significantly.1
For example, a commercial space of 60m2 in Praia do Forte could be
rented for about US$600 in 1999, whereas by 2007 the same space
would rent for US$3,000. In Mazunte, a 2,000m2 plot of land would
sell for about US$4,000 in 1999, while by 2008 a lot of the same
size would sell for about US$21,000 (not in table). Members of the
communities have also integrated themselves into ecotourism by
offering lodging, dining and entertainment.
Before the conservation and ecotourism projects, both Mazunte
and Praia do Forte were geographically isolated and they relied
on sea turtle hunting and the cultivation of one or two crops.
The experience of these towns shows that well designed initiatives
can reduce poverty. Fishing is less profitable now, but it no longer
threatens sea turtles and still guarantees additional income and
food supplements. Through training and capacity-building, local
communities were able to move from a subsistence-based economy
to a successful, service- oriented one.
Note:
1. Reliable data for land price and rent are only available since 2000, as the ecotourism
boom in both towns only started around 1999.
Reference:
Fleischer, David I. R. (2009). ‘Ecotourism, Sea Turtles and Livelihoods: Adaptation and Resistance
to Development and Conservation in Mexico and Brazil’. Dissertation, University at Albany,
Department of Anthropology.
International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC - IG)
Poverty Practice, Bureau for Development Policy, UNDP
Esplanada dos Ministérios, Bloco O, 7º andar
E-mail: [email protected] ƒ URL: www.ipc-undp.org
70052-900 Brasilia, DF - Brazil
Telephone: +55 61 2105 5000
The views expressed in this page are the authors’ and not
necessarily those of the United Nations Development
Programme or the Government of Brazil.